Pasta with Butternut Squash

This delicious Pasta with Butternut Squash also has mushrooms and just enough goat cheese to add an interesting flavor boost.

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This delicious Pasta with Butternut Squash is a recipe I came up with that used half a two-pound package of pre-cut squash with some brown Cremini Mushrooms, a generous amount of chopped scallions, and just enough goat cheese to keep it interesting. And this is just another recipe that shows how I’m a bit of a butternut squash addict; I’m always craving it at this time of year.

And even though I wrote a post about How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut Squash, sometimes I can’t resist those package of pre-cut butternut squash that show up at Costco every fall. This recipe does have a few steps, but it’s quick enough for an easy week-night meal, and perfect for a meatless dinner.

What ingredients do you need?

• Cremini Mushrooms (also called Baby Bellas)
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• butternut squash, cut into pieces about 3/4 inches square
• salt plus freshly ground black pepper to taste, to season the squash as it cooks
• pasta
• green onions
• salt for pasta cooking water
• goat cheese
• freshly-grated Parmesan for serving, optional

What kind of pasta did we use?

We used Penne pasta for this recipe, or you can use any similar shape.

What if you’re not a fan of goat cheese?

You can use Feta or another creamy white cheese if you’re not a fan of the more pungent goat cheese, and some people might like to add some freshly grated Parmesan at the table.

Can you use more vegetables with the pasta?

You can use more butternut squash in this recipe, and if you’d like to make a version that’s a bit lower in carbs you could double the mushrooms and use a smaller amount of pasta.

Want more ideas for cooking Butternut Squash?

I love, love, love butternut squash and if you’re also a fan you might like to see My Favorite Roasted Butternut Squash Recipes or My Top Ten Butternut Squash Recipes.

How to make Pasta with Butternut Squash:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

1. If you’re cutting up a whole squash rather than starting with precut cubes, I would do that first, before you start to cook the mushrooms. Here are my tips for How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut Squash.
2. Wash mushrooms and cut into thick slices. I pulled out the larger stems and cut them in half. 
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat, add the mushrooms, and saute until they’re nicely browned, about 6-8 minutes.
4. While the mushrooms cook, measure out 2 cups of penne (or other similar pasta shape) and start the pasta water boiling, with a generous amount of salt in the water.)
5. Cut the butternut squash into smallish cubes, about 3/4 inches across. (I cut most of the pre-cut squash pieces in half, but cut the larger ones into fourths.)
6. As soon as the mushrooms are done, remove them to a bowl, add another tablespoon of olive oil, and cook the squash over medium to medium-high heat until the squash is softened and nicely browned.
7. Season squash with about 1/2 tsp. salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper while it cooks.
8. Add the pasta to the boiling water when you start cooking the squash.
9. While the squash cooks, slice the green onions and measure about 2 ounces of goat cheese (or more!)
10. When the butternut squash is nicely browned and cooked through, turn heat to low and put mushrooms back into the pan to warm.
11. When pasta is done (about 10 minutes), scoop out 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain pasta into a colander placed in the sink.
12. Put drained pasta back into the pot you cooked it in and stir in the goat cheese and let it melt. (I added about half the pasta water at this point.)
13. Then gently stir the cheese-coated pasta into the browned butternut squash and mushrooms in the frying pan. (Add the rest of the pasta water if you need it. I thought mine was “saucy” enough.)
14. Gently stir in the scallions and serve hot, with Parmesan cheese to add at the table if desired.

More Vegetarian Recipes with Butternut Squash:

• Butternut Squash Black Bean Soup
• Roasted Butternut Squash with Rosemary and Balsamic Vinegar
• Slow Cooker Thai-Inspired Butternut Squash and Peanut Soup
• Slow Cooker Butternut Squash
• Roasted Butternut Squash with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce

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Yield: 6 servings

Pasta with Butternut Squash

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

This delicious Pasta with Butternut Squash also has mushrooms and goat cheese adds a creamy flavor boost.

Ingredients

• 16 oz. brown Crimini Mushrooms (also called Baby Bellas or Baby Portobellas)
• 1 T + 1 T olive oil
• 1 lb butternut squash, cut into pieces about 3/4 inches square (they don’t all need to be the same size and shape)
• 1/2 tsp. salt plus freshly ground black pepper to taste, to season the squash as it cooks
• 2 cups pasta
• 1/2 cup diagonal sliced scallions (green onions), green part only
• generous amount salt for pasta cooking water, at least 1 tsp. (The pasta doesn’t absorb all that salt, but it will taste flat without it.)
• 4 oz. goat cheese, or slightly more (see notes)
• freshly-grated Parmesan for serving, optional

Instructions

1. (If you’re cutting up a whole squash rather than starting with pre-cut cubes, I would do that first, before you start to cook the mushrooms. Here is How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut Squash for anyone who hasn’t done it.)
2. Wash the Cremini Mushrooms and cut into thick slices.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, add mushrooms, and saute until they’re nicely browned, about 6-8 minutes.
4. While mushrooms cook start the pasta water boiling. adding a generous amount of salt, and measure out 2 cups of pasta.
5. Cut the butternut squash into cubes about 3/4 inches square or slightly larger.
6. When the mushrooms are nicely browned, remove them to a bowl.
7. Add the other tablespoon of olive oil and when it’s hot add the butternut squash and cook, turning every few minutes, until the squash is nicely browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
8. Season squash with the salt and freshly ground black pepper as it cooks. (Depending on how hot your stove is, you may need to turn the heat to medium.)
9. Add the pasta to the boiling water when you start cooking the squash.
10. Cook pasta 10 minutes from the time it comes to a boil.
11. While the squash cooks, diagonally slice the scallions and measure out 2 oz. goat cheese.
12. When the squash is browned and cooked through, add the mushrooms back into the frying pan, along with any accumulate liquid.
13. Turn heat to low to keep it warm without cooking more.
14. When the pasta is cooked to al-dente (still slightly chewy), scoop out 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and then drain pasta into a colander placed in the sink.
15. Put drained pasta back into the pot you cooked it in, stir in the goat cheese, and let it melt for about a minute.
16. Add some of the pasta water, as much as you need to feel like the cheese had made kind of a sauce.
17. When cheese is melted, gently stir the cheese-coated pasta into the squash and mushrooms.
18. You can add the rest of the pasta water at this point if you think you need it; I thought it was “saucy” enough without any more water.
19. Gently stir in sliced scallions and serve hot, with Parmesan cheese to add at the table if desired.

Notes

You can use Feta if you’re not a fan of the more pungent goat cheese.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 228Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 404mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 5gSugar: 4gProtein: 10g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Pasta with Butternut Squash would be limited to Phase 2 or 3 for the original South Beach Diet, and it’s important to use whole wheat or whole grain pasta for South Beach. With pasta and butternut squash, this is too high in carbs for a low-carb diet plan.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Pasta to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest or on Facebook to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2013. It was last updated with more information in 2022.

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